Geo-referenced virtual anchor management system for media content access from physical location

ABSTRACT

Methods, systems, and devices for sharing a physical location with online users by requiring the online users to be in physical proximity of a specific physical location before the users can experience media content associated with the physical location. A user can mark a physical location when that user is at the location by associating a virtual anchor with that location. The virtual anchor creates a data structure that contains the location&#39;s geographic coordinates as well as other details regarding the anchor. The user can also associate media content with the virtual anchor. The virtual anchor can be shared with other users and these other users are notified of the presence of the virtual anchor when they are within a physical proximity from the physical location. Only when the other users are at the location can these users access the media content associated with the virtual anchor.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to Internet related software. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to software which allows auser to place a virtual marker or anchor to mark a physical location,associate media with the anchor, and share that anchor with others whophysically visit the location.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The growth and seeming ubiquity of the Internet in the past few yearshas led to an explosion of applications and software that takesadvantage of the constant network connection that mobile devices offerusers. Nowadays, users of mobile devices can share photos, thoughts,ideas, and even food choices with friends and the public in general.However, what they cannot share, as yet, are location specificexperiences.

Current mobile devices are equipped to take digital photographs, audiorecordings, text input, and other types of media input. Thesephotographs, recordings, text, and other media can be shared withfriends and the world in general by way of full-blown blogs,micro-blogging websites and applications, picture sharing websites andapplications, and, of course, other avenues in social media. A mobiledevice user can snap a digital photograph of a tree and share that photowith his or her friends through photo sharing applications or thephotograph can be shared by being posted on a social media website suchas Facebook™. Similarly, a user can share his or her experienceregarding a restaurant or store by marking and reviewing that restauranton websites that offer reviews on such establishments. A user can alsoshare his or her thoughts on a place or location by sending a shorttext-based message regarding that place or location to a micro-bloggingsite such as Twitter™. However, none of these options take into accountthat the relevance of information might significantly increase when theusers are at the associated physical location. To continue with theexample above of a tree, a user can only share that tree's location withothers by perhaps posting the tree's physical location online. Thephysical experience of being at that specific location with the treecannot, as yet, be shared online.

From the above, there is therefore a need for methods, systems, anddevices which mitigate if not overcome the drawbacks and shortcomings ofthe prior art. A means of easily sharing a physical location with othersusing an online medium while also sharing media content would bedesirable.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods, systems, and devices forsharing content associated with a physical location with online users byrequiring the online users to be in physical proximity of a specificphysical location before the users can experience media contentassociated with that specific physical location. A user can mark aphysical location when that user is at the location by placing a virtualanchor at that location. The virtual anchor creates a data structurethat contains the location's geographic coordinates as well as otherdetails regarding the anchor. The user can also upload/associate mediacontent with the virtual anchor. The virtual anchor can be shared withother users. These other users are notified of the presence of thevirtual anchor when they are within a predetermined physical distancefrom the physical location. Only when the other users are at thephysical location can the media content associated with the virtualanchor be accessed by the other users.

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for creatinga virtual anchor for a specific geographic location, the methodcomprising:

-   -   a) receiving an input from a user to create said virtual anchor        for said geographic location, said user being physically at said        geographic location;    -   b) receiving geographic coordinates for said geographic        location;    -   c) creating a virtual anchor data structure for said geographic        location, said data structure containing details regarding said        virtual anchor for said geographic location including said        geographic coordinates for said geographic location;    -   d) uploading said virtual anchor data structure for said        geographic location to an anchor database, said anchor database        being configured for storing virtual anchor data structures for        multiple users.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method foraccessing media content relating to a specific virtual anchor for aspecific geographic location by way of a mobile computing device, themethod comprising:

-   -   a) receiving geographic coordinates of a mobile device location        for said mobile computing device;    -   b) determining that said mobile device location matches a        location of said specific geographic anchor location;    -   c) alerting a user of said mobile computing device of a presence        of said specific virtual anchor;    -   d) providing said user with at least one option for dealing with        said specific virtual anchor, said at least one option being at        least one of:        -   ignoring said specific virtual anchor;        -   accessing at least one media content associated with said            specific virtual anchor;        -   adding media content to be associated with said specific            virtual anchor;    -   e) receiving input from said user relating to said at least one        option provided in step d); and    -   f) executing instructions based on said input received in        step e) for said at least one option provided in step d).

In a third aspect, the present invention provides a method for accessingmedia content relating to specific virtual anchors for specificgeographic locations by way of a mobile computing device, the methodcomprising:

-   -   a) receiving input relating to a planned route for a mobile        device used by a user;    -   b) determining geographic coordinates for said planned route;    -   c) sending a query to a server for virtual anchors associated        with geographic locations within a predetermined distance of        said planned route, said query containing said geographic        coordinates for said planned route;    -   d) receiving details for said virtual anchors associated with        geographic locations within said predetermined distance of said        planned route, said details including geographic coordinates of        said geographic locations;    -   e) downloading at least one media content for each of said        virtual anchors in step d) to said mobile device;    -   f) determining geographic coordinates of a mobile device        location for said mobile computing device;    -   g) determining if geographic coordinates of said mobile device        location is within a first predetermined distance of geographic        coordinates of at least one of said geographic locations;    -   h) in the event said geographic coordinates of said mobile        device location is within a first predetermined distance of        geographic coordinates of at least one of said geographic        locations, alerting said user of a presence of at least one        nearby virtual anchor, each of said at least one nearby virtual        anchor being associated with said geographic location whose        geographic coordinates are within said first predetermined        distance of said geographic coordinates of said mobile device        location;    -   i) determining if said mobile device is within a range of a        specific geographic location, said mobile device being within        said range of said specific geographic location when geographic        coordinates of said mobile device location is within a second        predetermined distance from geographic coordinates of said        specific geographic location, said specific geographic location        being associated with said at least one virtual anchor and said        second predetermined distance being less than said first        predetermined distance;    -   j) in the event said mobile device is within range of said        specific geographic location, alerting a user of said mobile        computing device of a presence of one of said at least one        nearby virtual anchor; and    -   k) repeating steps f)-j) while said mobile device travels on        said planned route.

In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a system forproviding virtual anchors for specific geographic locations to users,the system comprising:

-   -   a virtual anchor database for storing a plurality of virtual        anchors;    -   a media content database for storing media content associated        with said virtual anchors;    -   a user database for storing user identification data for a        plurality of users;        wherein    -   each virtual anchor is associated with at least one user and at        least one media content;    -   said virtual anchor database, media content database, and user        database are accessible by way of mobile computing devices        operated by said users.

In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides a method for providingmedia content to users, the method comprising:

-   -   a) associating a physical location with a virtual anchor;    -   b) alerting a user to a presence of a virtual anchor by way of        said user's mobile computing device when said mobile computing        device is physically near said physical location;    -   c) downloading media content to said mobile computing device,        said media content being associated with said virtual anchor;    -   d) presenting said media content to said user by way of said        mobile computing device.

In a sixth aspect, the present invention provides a method for accessingmedia content relating to specific virtual anchors for specificgeographic locations by way of a mobile computing device, the methodcomprising:

-   -   a) receiving input relating to a planned route for a mobile        device used by a user;    -   b) determining geographic coordinates for said planned route;    -   c) sending a query to a server for virtual anchors associated        with geographic locations within a predetermined distance of        said planned route, said query containing said geographic        coordinates for said planned route;    -   d) receiving details for said virtual anchors associated with        geographic locations within said predetermined distance of said        planned route, said details including geographic coordinates of        said geographic locations;    -   e) downloading at least one media content for each of said        virtual anchors in step d) to said mobile device;    -   f) determining geographic coordinates of a mobile device        location for said mobile computing device;    -   g) determining if geographic coordinates of said mobile device        location is within a range of geographic coordinates of a        specific geographic location associated with a specific virtual        anchor found in step d);    -   h) in the event said mobile device is within range of said        specific geographic location, alerting a user of said mobile        computing device of a presence of one of said at least one        nearby virtual anchor; and    -   i) repeating steps f)-h) while said mobile device travels on        said planned route.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments of the present invention will now be described byreference to the following figures, in which identical referencenumerals in different figures indicate identical elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for providing virtual anchorsaccording to one aspect of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the steps in a method for creating avirtual anchor according to another aspect of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart detailing the steps in a method for accessingmedia content associated with a virtual anchor according to anotheraspect of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the steps in a method for accessingmedia content associated with virtual anchors when a user's mobilecomputing device is operating in an offline mode.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention therefore provides a novel method of accessingInternet-based content. Instead of accessing media content by enteringor activating the network address (e.g. a URL) of a piece of mediacontent to access that media content, the user has to be in theregion/physical proximity/near a specific physical location dictated bythe creator of the association. A user thus visits a physical locationand creates a virtual anchor associated with that physical location andassociates that virtual anchor with media content. Another user, toaccess the media content, will need to be at the same physical location(or at least nearby) before the media content can be unlocked for accessor accessed. As will be explained below, the system can also be used inoffline mode for ease of access.

Referring to FIG. 1, a block diagram of a system according to one aspectof the invention is illustrated. The system 10 may be used with otheraspects of the invention.

The system 10 includes a media content database 20, a virtual anchordatabase 30, and a user database 40. The various databases are coupledto servers 50 through which the contents of the databases areaccessible. The servers 50 are accessible to mobile computing devices 60by way of various internal and external networks including the Internet.Each of the various mobile computing devices 60 is, generally, able toretrieve geographic coordinates of its location by way of one or morelocation technologies including satellites 70 (e.g. using the GlobalPositioning System (GPS) or the GLONASS (Global Navigation SatelliteSystem) system) or any combination of GPS, cell tower-based locationprocesses, wireless Internet signal processing, Bluetooth sensors, IPaddresses, network environment data, or any other location technologies.

In operation, the mobile computing devices receive their mobile devicelocation (i.e. their geographic coordinates) using the satellite(s) orany other location technology. The mobile computing device then comparesthese geographic coordinates with the geographic coordinates of virtualanchors in the anchor database. If there is a virtual anchor nearby, themobile device checks to determine if the user is allowed to access thevirtual anchor. This is done by checking the anchor database and theuser database. In the event the user is allowed to access the virtualanchor and the anchor's content conforms to the user's set preferencesor conforms to the user's profile (i.e. is from the user's group orbelongs to one of the user's categories), the user is alerted of thepresence of the virtual anchor and the user is queried whether the userwishes to access media content associated with that virtual anchor. Ifthe user wishes to access the media content, the mobile device retrievesthe related media content from the media content database and presentsthis content to the user.

It should be noted that a virtual anchor is a marker that associates aspecific geographic location with specific user specified media content.The details regarding the virtual anchor are stored in a virtual anchordata structure that contains the relevant information for that virtualanchor. These details include the geographic coordinates of the virtualanchor, the user who created the virtual anchor, permissions for thevirtual anchor (i.e. is the virtual anchor editable and by whom),accessibility for the virtual anchor (i.e. who can access the virtualanchor), and an identification of the media content associated with thevirtual anchor. Other details may, of course, form part of the virtualanchor data structure. The various instances of the virtual anchor datastructure, containing details for the different virtual anchors, arestored in the virtual anchor database. The media content relating to thevarious virtual anchors are stored in the media content database and areaccessible to users who are able to access the virtual anchor.

It should further be noted that, in one embodiment, a user allowed toaccess a specific virtual anchor can only access the media contentassociated with that specific virtual anchor when the mobile computingdevice used by that user has a location that matches the specificgeographic location associated with that specific virtual anchor. Thismeans that the user (or his mobile computing device) will need to be inthe proximity of or near the location associated with the virtual anchorbefore the media content associated with the virtual anchor can beaccessed. As will be explained below, when a user's location “matches”an anchor's location, this is to mean that the user is within a specificdistance, proximity, or range from a specific anchor's location.

The geographic coordinates of the location associated with a virtualanchor may be determined by numerous means. In one implementation, thegeographic coordinates are gathered by accessing GPS or similartechnologies and services to receive a specific location's longitude andlatitude. Alternatively, if the specific location for a virtual anchoris in an environment with street addresses, the specific location'sstreet address may be used in lieu of or in addition to the location'slongitude and latitude for the location's geographic coordinates. Thestreet address may be automatically gathered using online mappingservices such as, for example, Google Maps™. A specific location'sgeographic coordinates may also be determined by using hybridpositioning systems that use any combination of GPS, cell tower-basedlocation processes (e.g. cell tower signal triangulation), wirelessInternet signal processing, Bluetooth sensors, IP addresses, networkenvironment data, and other location technologies.

To determine if a user's mobile computing device's location matches thespecific location associated with a virtual anchor, the same methods andprocesses used to determine the geographic coordinates for the virtualanchor may also be used to locate the mobile computing device.

As can be imagined, the user's mobile computing device is, preferably,capable of accessing the Internet as well as GPS, other similarsatellite location technologies or other known location technologies.While a persistent Internet connection is preferable for the mobilecomputing device, periods when the device is offline can be compensatedfor as will be explained below.

To create a virtual anchor, a user first brings his or her mobilecomputing device to a specific geographic location the user wants toassociate with the virtual anchor. The user then operates software thatcreates an instance of the virtual anchor data structure and thesoftware can automatically populate the relevant fields of the datastructure as needed. As an example, the software can query the mobiledevice's GPS subsystem and retrieves the geographic coordinates of thespecific location. These geographic coordinates are then entered intothe virtual anchor data structure along with the user's identification.The user then selects or creates media content to be associated with thevirtual anchor. The user can then set the parameters for the virtualanchor which may include an identification of who may access the virtualanchor, whether the virtual anchor may be edited by someone other thanthe user who created the virtual anchor, and who may access the mediacontent associated with the virtual anchor. Once the necessary fields inthe data structure have been completed, the virtual anchor datastructure as well as the media content to be associated with the virtualanchor can both be uploaded to the media content database and to thevirtual anchor database. The virtual anchor data structure is thenstored in the virtual anchor database while the media content is storedin the media content database. Of course, the virtual anchor isassociated with the relevant media content so that the media content canbe retrieved if and when necessary by merely accessing the virtualanchor.

Once the virtual anchor has been created, users who are allowed orauthorized to access the virtual anchor can be alerted to its presenceand can access the media content associated with it. The media contentcan only by accessed by an authorized user when that user's mobilecomputing device's location matches the same location as the originalspecific location used by the user who created the virtual anchor whenthat virtual anchor was created. It should be noted that, given theinherent inaccuracies of satellite and mobile device based locationtechnologies, an exact match between the authorized user's location andthe creator user's original specific location is not necessary. Theauthorized user merely has to be within a predetermined range ordistance from the original specific location to trigger the virtualanchor. Once the authorized user is within range of the originalspecific location associated with the virtual anchor (i.e. theauthorized user's location matches the original specific location), theuser is alerted to the presence or existence of the virtual anchor. Theuser is then prompted regarding that virtual anchor. Depending on theauthorized user's authorizations and the settings on the virtual anchor,the user may be prompted to view the media content, add media content tobe associated with the virtual anchor, edit the virtual anchor, orignore the virtual anchor. If the user's response to the promptindicates that the user merely wishes to view the media content, themedia content is retrieved from the media content database and thenpresented to the user. If the user's response indicates that the userwants to add additional media content to be associated with the virtualanchor, the user selects or creates the media content to be added. Thisnew media content to be associated with the virtual anchor is thenuploaded to the media content database and, once uploaded, is associatedwith that particular virtual anchor. Should the user's response indicatea desire to edit the virtual anchor, the virtual anchor data structureis retrieved and presented to the user. The user then edits the virtualanchor and, once done, the virtual anchor data structure is againuploaded to the virtual anchor database for storage. If the user'sresponse indicates that he wishes to ignore or not interact with thevirtual anchor present, the prompts for that virtual anchor aredismissed and the user is no longer prompted for that virtual anchor forthat particular match in location between the user's mobile computingdevice and the original specific location for the virtual anchor. Ofcourse, the content of the ignored virtual anchor remains active and thevirtual anchor remains detectable. If the virtual anchor data structureor its media content has been edited or added to by a user other thanthe creator of the virtual anchor, one configuration is that the creatoris notified of this change.

It should be noted that, to determine whether a user's mobile computingdevice is within range (i.e. within a predetermined distance or that thedevice's location matches the location of an anchor) from a locationassociated with a given virtual anchor, the mobile device's location isfirst determined by way of the geographic coordinates of that mobiledevice. First, the mobile device's geographic coordinates are found. Asnoted above, this can be done by querying a satellite based geo-locationsystem such as GPS or GLONASS. Alternatively, other non-satellite basedlocation systems, such as those based on cell phone tower triangulation,can also be used. Once the mobile device's geographic coordinates areknown, these coordinates are compared/matched with the geographiccoordinates of the specific location associated with the virtual anchor.If the geographic coordinates of the specific location are within apredetermined distance from the geographic location of the mobilecomputing device, then a match between the mobile device location andthe location for the virtual anchor can be said to have been found. Thepredetermined distance between the mobile computing device location andthe virtual anchor location can, of course, be a system parameter set bythe system operators.

In another embodiment, a user can be alerted to a virtual anchor'spresence based on the virtual anchor's “sensitivity”, a parameter setfor each virtual anchor by way of the virtual anchor's settings file. Ifa virtual anchor's sensitivity is set to, as an example, 100 meters,then if the user's mobile computing device is within 100 meters of thevirtual anchor location, then the user is alerted to the virtualanchor's presence. As well, once a user is alerted to the virtualanchor's presence, the user is also given an indication as to thedirection of the virtual anchor relative to the user mobile device'scurrent location.

If the user is intending to travel to a region that might not havewireless coverage or where an Internet connection is not available forhis mobile computing device, the user may configure the mobile computingdevice to operate in an offline mode. In such an offline mode, if theuser's itinerary (and hence the itinerary of the mobile computingdevice) is known, any virtual anchors in the region may still have theirmedia content accessible to the user. For this, the user first enters aprojected itinerary, including a starting point, a route, and adestination or end point. The mobile computing device then determinesthe geographic coordinates of the route as well as the starting and endpoints. A search is then determined on the virtual anchor database tofind virtual anchors whose specific locations are within a specificpredetermined distance from the user's projected route. The datarelating to these virtual anchors whose locations are within thepredetermined distance from the route is then downloaded to the mobilecomputing device. This data can encompass the virtual anchor datastructure, the data in that data structure (including the geographiccoordinates of the specific location for the virtual anchor), as well asat least some, if not all, the media content associated with thatvirtual anchor. This data is then stored on the user's mobile computingdevice for later use. As the user traverses his route, the mobiledevice's geographic coordinates are compared with the stored geographiccoordinates of potentially nearby virtual anchors stored on the mobilecomputing device. When the user's geographic coordinates are within agiven predetermined distance from a specific location for one of thestored virtual anchors, the user is alerted of this presence of avirtual anchor. The user is then prompted regarding this virtual anchor.The prompt may include an indication of how far the user is from thelocation as well as the direction of the location from the user. Toaccess the media content for the nearby location for a virtual anchor,the user must be within range of the specific location as noted above.Once the user is within range or within a proximity of the location, thepreloaded content for that virtual anchor is unlocked and the user isalerted to the availability of the media content associated with thevirtual anchor associated with the user's current location. The usercan, depending on the virtual anchor settings downloaded, then view themedia content, add to the media content (for later uploading to theservers), edit the virtual anchor, or ignore the virtual anchor mediacontent. If the user wishes to view the media content, this mediacontent downloaded prior to the mobile device going offline is thenpresented to the user.

For offline editing of virtual anchors or for offline creation ofvirtual anchors, the steps taken are almost the same as for when theuser is online, the only difference being that the created or editedmaterial is stored on the mobile computing device while offline. Thismaterial is then uploaded to the various servers once the mobilecomputing device is again online.

It should be noted that the predetermined distance to be within range orwithin the proximity of a virtual anchor location and the predetermineddistance to be near a nearby virtual anchor are different. Thepredetermined distance to be within range of a virtual anchor so thatthe media content for that virtual anchor is accessible is in the orderof anywhere from 5 to 15 feet, depending on the configuration of thesystem implementing one aspect of the invention. However, to be near avirtual anchor so that a user may be alerted to a nearby anchor, thepredetermined distance may be in the order of 20 to 30 feet, if notmore. The range is therefore the distance a user has to be from aspecific location to match that location so that the user may access themedia content. This predetermined distance is smaller or lesser than thedistance a user has to be from a specific location when the user isalerted to the presence of a nearby virtual anchor. It should be notedthat the distances and ranges given above are merely by way of exampleand should not be taken as requirements for the invention.

As noted above, in one implementation, a sensitivity setting can beprovided for as part of each virtual anchor's parameters. Thesensitivity setting can be used to determine how far a mobile device'slocation can be from a virtual anchor location before the user isalerted to the virtual anchor's presence and before the mobile devicecan access the virtual anchor's content. From the example given abovewhere the sensitivity was set to 100 meters, this means that, once theuser mobile device's location is 100 meters from the virtual anchor'sspecific location, the user is alerted to the virtual anchor's presenceand the virtual anchor's content becomes accessible to the user. Notonly that, but the user may also be directed to the virtual anchor'sspecific location based on the user mobile device's current location. Itshould be noted that the sensitivity parameter may be user/creatorconfigured. A public virtual anchor creator may, therefore, set a highsensitivity so that more users can detect the virtual anchor and attractmore views.

Regarding the virtual anchor data structure, the data structure may havefields which are user editable and other fields which are set by defaultaccording to the implementation of the system. Once populated, theeditable fields may be edited by the user who created the virtualanchor. Other fields may, depending on the settings, also be editable bythose users given the authority to do so. These fields, some of whichmay determine the system behavior associated with the virtual anchor,may include:

-   -   a virtual anchor identification/identifier,    -   a title for the virtual anchor,    -   a rating and/or ranking of the anchor—this may be used to        determine which virtual anchor is presented first to a user if        there are competing virtual anchors in the area    -   specific location associated with the virtual anchor in        latitude, longitude, and altitude, or physical address    -   virtual anchor owner/creator,    -   virtual anchor date of creation,    -   a lifetime (or expiry) for the virtual anchor (the duration        after which the virtual anchor will be removed)    -   predetermined distance from the specific location before the        user is alerted to the virtual anchor presence (i.e. a        sensitivity setting)    -   optionally, an address field may also be used with the closest        physical address to the virtual anchor specific location being        entered in this optional field,    -   list of users or groups that can view or be alerted to the        virtual anchor    -   optionally, list of users or groups that can view or access the        media content associated with the virtual anchor. Note that this        list may be different from the list above as the users who can        be alerted to the presence of the virtual anchor may not be the        same list as those allowed to access all the media content        associated with the virtual anchor. This list may only be        present if the implementation uses differing levels of access to        specific virtual anchors    -   an advertisement field which indicates whether advertisements        are allowed or not for the virtual anchor. As part of this        field, subfields indicating advertising providers and the        network/Internet locations of the advertising may also be        present,    -   a statistics field with subfields for preferred location        acquisition technologies, an average location error, average        signal strengths for satellite signals, WiFi signals, and cell        towers signals, how many times the anchor has been accessed, how        many times the anchor has been ignored, the average time of day        the anchor has been accessed, the average length of time the        anchor has been accessed, and the number of times advertisements        have been accessed through the virtual anchor,    -   a virtual anchor status field with the following sub-fields:        -   private—only those specifically listed can access the            virtual anchor and its media content        -   public—all users can access the virtual anchor        -   active/dormant—virtual anchor status as set by creator. If a            virtual anchor is active, it can be interacted with. If            dormant, it cannot be interacted with        -   open—users other than the virtual anchor creator can            edit/add to the virtual anchor or its media content. The            type of media content which can be associated with a            specific virtual anchor can be set by the virtual anchor            creator        -   closed—only the virtual anchor creator can edit/add to the            virtual anchor or its media content    -   virtual anchor category—one or more categories under which the        virtual anchor is classified. This can be used to filter virtual        anchors for users with specific interests and/or requirements,    -   media content list—a listing of the media content associated        with the specific virtual anchor. This may be used to retrieve        the media content from the media content database or it can be        used by a user to select which media content he or she wishes to        view for this specific virtual anchor. The list can also contain        fields specific to each piece of media content including fields        for the owner of the media content, the type of media content,        the date the content was added, a rating of the media content by        viewers, and a network/Internet location where the media content        can be retrieved from,    -   media type list—a listing of the types of media which can be        added by users to the virtual anchor.

From the above, it can be seen that virtual anchors are associated withat least one category. Categories may be used by users to find virtualanchors which conform to his/her requirements. As an example, if theuser was interested in historical sites, the user may perform a searchfor virtual anchors that fall under categories that include history,historical sites, historical events, or the like. Thus, any virtualanchors in the user's vicinity or area that fall under those categorieswill be presented to the user. Of course, virtual anchors which fallunder those categories but to which the user does not have access (e.g.private virtual anchors) are not presented to the user. Categories canalso be used to inform users of new developments in their field ofinterest. If a development from one of the authors or groups to whichthey belong occurs (e.g. new anchors are created or new contentassociated with anchors have been updated), then the user can benotified of such a development.

It should also be noted that, in one implementation, each user has astatus with respect to specific virtual anchors. If a user has not yetaccessed the media content associated with a specific virtual anchorwhich the user is allowed or authorized to access, then that mediacontent is still available to that user. When a user is in range of thatspecific virtual anchor and accesses all the media content associatedwith that specific virtual anchor, the virtual anchor and its mediacontent are then tagged as being already viewed or accessed as that userhas already accessed the media content. When the same user is again inthe same location, that user is alerted in a different manner to theavailability or presence of the virtual anchor at that location as thevirtual anchor has nothing new to offer to that user. This differentmanner of alerting notifies the user that the nearby anchor is one thathe has already accessed. If new media content or some other eventchanges the status of the virtual anchor (e.g. new media content hasbeen added by the virtual anchor creator or by some other user), theuser who has previously accessed the media content will now be alertedto the new media content but only when that same user is at the locationfor the virtual anchor. Of course, the system may be configured so thatthat same user can be alerted to new content for that same virtualanchor. However, the new content cannot be accessed until the uservisits the specific location for the virtual anchor. If a user choosesto ignore alerts regarding a virtual anchor, the user's status relativeto that virtual anchor is not changed.

In another implementation of the invention, the user is provided with anoption to discard a virtual anchor. Discarding a virtual anchor, whenthe user has been notified of the availability of the virtual anchor'smedia content, causes the virtual anchor and its current media content,to be inactive and unavailable to the user. Once new media content hasbeen added to the virtual anchor, however, the user can again access thenew media if and when the user revisits the virtual anchor's specificlocation.

While a user may not access a virtual anchor's content unless and untilthat user is at the specific location for a specific virtual anchor, oneimplementation of the invention allows for the user's mobile computingdevice to access and store the virtual anchor data structures forvirtual anchors with locations within a predetermined area around theuser's current location. This allows for quicker checking to determineif the user is within range of a virtual anchor as the geographiccoordinates for the virtual anchors which are near have already beenstored in the user's mobile computing device. Of course, the coverage ofthe area around the user's current location can be configurable. As anexample, virtual anchors with specific locations within a 100 footradius of the user's current location can have their virtual anchor datastructures retrieved and stored on the user's mobile computing device.Alternatively, instead of a 100 foot radius around the user's location,the area can be expanded so that any virtual anchors with locationswithin a 200 foot radius of the user's current location can have theirdata structures retrieved. As can be imagined, this list of virtualanchors whose data structures are retrieved will constantly change ifthe user is moving. For such an eventuality, the device may employvarious algorithms to determine the user's direction of travel and tothereby retrieve more data for virtual anchors in the direction of theuser's travel. This can be done such that, as an example, virtualanchors for 100 feet from the user's current location in the directionof the user's travel are retrieved while virtual anchors for only 50feet from the user's current location in the opposite direction of theuser's travel are retrieved.

It should be noted that, in another embodiment of the invention, once auser has accessed a specific virtual anchor, this allows the user toaccess other anchors and media content once the user is within thedetection range or activation range of the specific anchors. In onevariant, accessing a virtual anchor allows the user to access othervirtual anchors related to the accessed virtual anchor. As an example,if a user accesses a virtual anchor relating to a tourist spot in acity, this allows the user to access or be guided to othertourist-related virtual anchors in the same city, even if those othervirtual anchors are not in the immediate vicinity of the user. Thisallows anchors to be linked to one another. Anchors can therefore berelated to one another based on their content, the categories that theanchors belong to, the author of the anchor, or any other suitablecriteria. By accessing one virtual anchor, the user can be guided toanother virtual anchor linked to the previous anchor, even if the newanchor is not within the detection range of the system. Thus, the usercan be led or guided to a series of linked anchors by merely accessingany one of the series of anchors even if the user is nowhere near any ofthe other anchors.

It should be clear that the access to other linked virtual anchors canbe automatic or they can be based on user input. Thus, a user accessinga virtual anchor A linked to virtual anchor B can either beautomatically given access to virtual anchor B or he can be prompted asto whether he wants access to virtual anchor B.

Virtual anchors can also be used to automatically launch applications orcontent based on the settings of the specific anchor. Once a user is atthe location associated with a specific anchor such that the user canaccess the virtual anchor, the user's device can automatically launchapplications or content access programs so that the specific contentassociated with that virtual anchor is automatically accessed by theuser's device. As an example, if a user is authorized to access avirtual anchor at a hill favoured by joggers, the virtual anchor can beused to automatically play a playlist of audio content (e.g. theauthor's favourite music used to run up the hill) put together by thevirtual anchor's author. Or, similarly, if a user is at a historicallocation associated with a virtual anchor, the virtual anchor canautomatically launch a slide show detailing the historical importance ofthe location as well as launch an audio file guiding the user throughthe location.

As noted above, a user can be notified if an event relating to aspecific virtual anchor occurs. As noted above, this event can be theaddition of content associated with the virtual anchor, the creation ofanother virtual anchor by the same author, the creation of anothervirtual anchor by an author followed by the user, the creation ofanother virtual anchor in the same category as the original anchor, thecreation or editing of a virtual anchor by a member of a group to whichthe user belongs, or any other suitable event. The notification wouldinform the user of the event, the addition of any new virtual anchorsaffected by the event to the user's device, the identification ofproperties of any new virtual anchors added (e.g. the new anchor'sgroup, author, categories, etc.), as well as the location of any newvirtual anchors. In one variant, instead of automatically adding any newvirtual anchors, the user is prompted to determine whether the userwishes to add the new virtual anchor and whether the user wishes toaccess the new virtual anchor by virtue of being linked to a previouslyexisting anchor. Of course, the content can only be accessed by the useronce he or she is within the detection or activation range of the newvirtual anchor.

A user can also create a “Favorite Anchors List” which would, inessence, bookmark specific anchors. The user can be guided to thesespecific anchors even if these anchors are not within the detectionrange of the user's location.

In one variant, virtual anchors can have a “sensitivity” setting thatdetermines when the anchor can be detected by authorized users. A usercan thus detect anchors within a given distance from the locationassociated with that anchor while, at the same time, that user cannotyet access the content associated with the anchor. Once the user iswithin an active range (i.e. within a specific given distance from thelocation), the user can access the content associated with that anchor.Of course, the detection distance from an anchor's location (i.e. thedistance from the location by which the anchor can be detected by anauthorized user) is generally larger or greater than an active range(i.e. the distance from the location where the user can actually accessthe content associated with the anchor).

Regarding the databases, the media content database and the virtualanchor database will, as noted above, be accessible by way of theservers 50. The user database is also accessed by way of these servers.The user database stores user information and user identification, aswell as user profiles. User profiles will include user privileges whichaffect the user's ability to create virtual anchors, public (e.g. freelyaccessible virtual anchors) virtual anchors, and the ability to extendvirtual anchor longevity. User restrictions, user groups, and userpreferences are all also stored in the user database.

The media content database is, as noted above, used to store mediacontent associated with virtual anchors. The database can store any andall types of media content which can be associated with virtual anchorsincluding all types and formats of audio, video, text, images, as wellas links to websites, email addresses, advertisements, and other mannersof content. Such content is retrieved from the media content databaseand sent to the relevant user mobile computing device for presentationto the user.

The above noted servers are the entry point for users to use the system.The servers operate to receive requests to create, delete, and add mediacontent to a virtual anchor as well as any requests to change the statusof a virtual anchor. The servers will also process user mobile computingdevice requests for virtual anchors in the area around the mobilecomputing device location. However, calculations regarding therange/sensitivity or proximity of virtual anchors as well as the areaaround a mobile device location are performed on the mobile computingdevice. The servers also receive and process requests for media contentfor specific virtual anchors from user mobile computing devices. Theservers receive these requests and retrieve the media content from themedia content database and forward this media content to the relevantuser mobile device. User accounts, settings, restrictions, userprofiles, as well as account creation and deletions are also dealt withby the servers.

The system overseeing the various databases and servers can also beconfigured to have multiple user types and service levels. Users may bebasic users, intermediate users, advanced users, organizational users,and super-users. Basic users can only create private virtual anchorswhich are shareable with other users or groups that the basic userbelongs to. These users may also delete, change the status of, and addmedia content to their own virtual anchors. Public virtual anchors arefreely accessible and can therefore be accessible to basic users. Basicusers may also add media content to virtual anchors which have beenshared with them, including public virtual anchors.

Intermediate and advanced users are able to create groups and addmembers to these groups. In addition to these capabilities, advancedusers can also create public virtual anchors. Organizational users cancreate virtual anchors in batches and do not need to be physically at aspecific location to create a virtual anchor for that location. Theseusers can also extend the lifetime of their virtual anchors. Super-userscan modify, delete, or otherwise adjust any media content or virtualanchor.

It should be noted that those users who create virtual anchors also havecontrol over the type and content of media content associated or addedto the virtual anchors they create. Virtual anchor creators can, whenthey create the virtual anchor, specify the types of media content whichcan be uploaded for association with the virtual anchor. Virtual anchorcreators can also have control over the media content once the virtualanchor has been created. As an example, the creator (or a virtual anchorowner) can exercise editorial control over content uploaded. Before themedia content uploaded can be associated with a specific virtual anchor,the anchor creator or anchor owner can reject or accept that mediacontent. If accepted, the media content is associated with the relevantvirtual anchor and is stored in the content database. If rejected, theuploaded media content may be deleted or sent back to the user whouploaded the content.

For public virtual anchors and, depending on the configuration of thevirtual anchors, some private virtual anchors as well, a user-basedranking or feedback system may be used. This would allow users who haveaccess to the virtual anchors to rate the virtual anchor and the mediacontent associated with it. As well, this would allow users to registercomplaints with the virtual anchor owner or the system administrators.The complaints may, of course, include complaints regarding offensivecontent or inappropriate content.

It should be noted that the term “mobile computing device” includes anyand all computing devices capable of connecting to a network includingthe Internet whether the connection is wired or wireless. This includessmartphones, tablet computers, notebook computers, certain types ofcellular telephone handsets, as well as wearable computing devices.Preferably, the mobile computing device is also able to interact andreceive signals and data from GPS and GLONASS type satellite networks.These mobile computing devices are, again, preferably able toconnect/interact with any of the following network/telecommunicationtechnologies: Wi-Fi, GPRS, EDGE, 3G, 4G, HSPA. Of course, otherwireless/networking/telecommunications technologies may be used with theinvention. As long as the mobile computing device has network access andcan access the Internet at some point, the mobile computing device canbe used with the invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the steps in a method for creating a virtual anchorare detailed in the flowchart of FIG. 2. The method starts at step 210,that of receiving a user input requesting that a virtual anchor is to becreated. The type of user input for this step may depend upon the userinterface on a user's mobile computing device being used by the user.Step 220 is that of receiving or obtaining the geographic coordinates ofthe mobile computing device being used to create the virtual anchor atthe specific location to be associated with the virtual anchor. As notedabove, this may take form of receiving/determining the mobile computingdevice's geographic coordinates by way of satellite-based geolocationusing GPS, GLONASS, or other similar satellites and technologies.Alternatively, this may take the form of determining the mobilecomputing device's geographic coordinates using Internet-based orcellular tower-based technologies. As another alternative,Internet-based geolocation technologies such as Google Maps™ orMapquest™ may be used. The geographic coordinates may take the form oflongitude, latitude, and/or altitude readings or the coordinates maytake the form of a street address.

Once the geographic coordinates of the specific location to be used forthe virtual anchor has been obtained, step 230 is that of creating thevirtual anchor data structure. The virtual anchor data structure mayalready be available on the user's mobile computing device as a blankdata structure with the appropriate fields provisioned for or it may beavailable as a blank general form with the relevant fields already setup. Regardless of the form of the virtual anchor data structure, this isprovided to the user to fill out/complete the relevant fields. The userperforms this step (step 240) by completing/populating the fields in thedata structure. As noted above, some fields maybe pre-populated orpreviously filled out while others will need user input. The user inputfields may include the public/private status of the virtual anchor, alisting of the users allowed to view/interact with the virtual anchor,as well as the media content to be associated with the virtual anchor.As might be imagined, completing the virtual anchor data structure maytake different forms and may involve different steps which depend on thetype/configuration of the user interface for the implementation of themobile computing device aspect of the invention. After the virtualanchor data structure has been completed, it can then be uploaded, withthe media content to be associated with it, to the various relevantservers (step 250).

Referring to FIG. 3, a flowchart for the steps in a process forinteracting with a virtual anchor is illustrated. The process beginswith step 310, that of receiving/determining the geographic coordinatesof the mobile computing device used by the user. These geographiccoordinates are then checked against the geographic coordinatesassociated with at least one virtual anchor (step 320). Steps 310 and320 may be combined into a single step of checking whether the usermobile device is within a proximity of a virtual anchor. The details forthis virtual anchor (or anchors) may be previously stored on the mobilecomputing device or it may be retrieved as necessary from the virtualanchor database. Step 330 then decides if there is a match between thegeographic coordinates of the mobile computing device and the geographiccoordinates of the virtual anchor. It should be noted that the term“match”, in this context, means determining if the mobile computingdevice is within range of the virtual anchor specific location. As notedabove, being within range means that the mobile computing device iswithin a predetermined distance from the specific location for thevirtual location. This may be implemented by merely determining a givenradius from the center of the specific location's geographic coordinatesand, if the mobile computing device is within this radius, then themobile computing device's geographic coordinates match those of thevirtual anchor. Of course, the above assumes that the user is authorizedto access or interact with the relevant virtual anchor. If the user isnot authorized to access this virtual anchor, then the mobile computingdevice's geographic coordinates are not checked for a match with thegeographic coordinates of the virtual anchor.

Returning to the flowchart in FIG. 3, if there is no match between thetwo geographic coordinates, then the logic flow returns to step 310,that of determining the mobile computing device's geographiccoordinates. If there is a match, then step 340 is that of alerting theuser to the presence of the virtual anchor and the availability of mediacontent associated with that virtual anchor. Step 350 then receives userinput regarding this virtual anchor.

Step 360 checks to see if the user input indicates a desire to ignorethe virtual anchor. If this is indicated by the user input, then thelogic flow returns to step 310, that of finding the mobile computingdevice's geographic coordinates. If the user does not indicate a desireto ignore the virtual anchor, then step 370 determines if the userwishes to access the media content associated with the virtual anchor.If the user wants to access the media content, then step 380 is that ofretrieving the relevant media content. Step 390 then presents that mediacontent to the user.

If, on the other hand, the user does not want to access the mediacontent, then step 400 checks if the user wants to add media content tothe virtual anchor. If the user input indicates a desire to add mediacontent (and, again, assuming that the user is authorized to add thismedia content), then step 410 is that of generating or pointing to themedia content on the user's mobile computing device. The generation ofthe media content may involve the user using the mobile computing deviceto generate the media content by, for example, taking a photo, recordingan audio message, generating video content, or typing out a text basedmessage. Pointing to the media content may involve the user selecting apre-existing file on his mobile computing device and tagging that as themedia content to be added.

Once the relevant media content has been generated and/or tagged, thismedia content is then associated with the virtual anchor (step 420).This may require the user to adjust or edit the virtual anchor's datastructure or simply associate the name of the virtual anchor with thespecific media content. The final step is that of uploading the mediacontent to the relevant media content database as well as uploading anyedited virtual anchor data structure or any virtual anchor data to thevirtual anchor database (step 430).

It should be noted that if the user does not wish to add media content,then other options may then be presented to the user (step 440). Theseother options may vary depending on the implementation of the system.

Referring to FIG. 4, a flowchart detailing the steps in a process foraccessing virtual anchor content when the mobile computing device is inoffline mode is presented. The process begins at step 510, that ofreceiving a planned route or itinerary on the mobile computing device.The geographic coordinates for the route or itinerary is then computed(step 520). This can be done by highlighting a number of points on theroute or itinerary and then connecting these points. The geographiccoordinates for the points on the route as well as the coordinates forthe connecting paths are determined. Step 530 is that of determining thevirtual anchors which are near the planned route or itinerary. This canbe done by querying the virtual anchor database for virtual anchorswhich have a specific location which is in the area of the plannedroute. The geographic coordinates for the specific locations for thesevirtual anchors are then found and, if the geographic coordinates forthe specific locations are within a given distance (e.g. 200-500 feet)from the route or from any of the points on the itinerary, then thesevirtual anchors are determined to be near the route.

Once it has been determined which virtual anchors are near the route,the data for these virtual anchors are downloaded to the mobilecomputing device (step 540). This data includes the virtual anchorstatus, which media content is associated with the virtual anchors, aswell as the categories for these virtual anchors. Step 550 is that ofdownloading at least one media content for each one of the virtualanchors for which data was downloaded in step 540. This media content isthen stored on the mobile computing device's storage module.

With the data and the media content for the virtual anchors near theroute, the next step is that of determining the geographic coordinatesof the mobile computing device (step 560). A determination is then madeto see if the mobile device is near one of the virtual anchors whichhave been previously determined to be within the area (step 570). Thiscan be done by comparing the mobile device's geographic coordinates withthe geographic coordinates of the virtual anchors for which the data wasdownloaded in step 540. If the mobile computing device's geographiccoordinates are within a given distance from the virtual anchor'sgeographic coordinates (e.g. 200-500 feet), then the virtual anchor isdetermined to be near the mobile computing device's location. If themobile device is not determined to be near the virtual anchor, then thelogic flow returns to step 560. On the other hand, if the mobile deviceis near at least one of these virtual anchors determined in step 530,then these virtual anchors are shown to the user (step 580).

Once it has been determined that the mobile device is close or near to avirtual anchor, then a determination is made if the mobile device iswithin range of one of these virtual anchors (step 590). As noted above,being within range of a virtual anchor means that the virtual anchorspecific location is within a predetermined distance (e.g. 10-20 feet)of the mobile computing device's geographic coordinates. If the mobilecomputing device is not within range, then the logic flow returns tostep 560. If the mobile computing device is within range, then the useris alerted to the presence of this virtual anchor (step 600). The mediacontent for this virtual anchor can then be presented to the user if theuser requests it (step 610). It should be noted that, as the mediacontent for this virtual anchor was previously downloaded to the mobilecomputing device in step 550, then there is no need to access the mediacontent database.

In one implementation of the invention, the logic flow follows as inFIG. 4 but with steps 570 and 580 bypassed. The logic flow follows fromstep 560 directly to step 590. Once the geographic coordinates of themobile device have been determined in step 560, step 590 then determinesif the mobile device is within range or in the proximity of a virtualanchor location.

It should be noted that, in the event the user's mobile computing deviceis offline when executing the above noted methods and processes, themedia content and/or the virtual anchor data structures and/or virtualanchor data which would need to be uploaded to the servers are stored onthe mobile computing device's storage module. Once the mobile computingdevice is again operating in online mode (i.e. it has a suitableInternet connection), the media content and virtual anchor data or datastructures stored on the mobile computing device's storage module can beuploaded as necessary.

The systems and methods of the present invention may be useful forvarious businesses for not just marketing purposes but also forproviding extra content to their customers. Television networks, printand online media such as journals and magazines would find the presentinvention useful as print and online content can now be given an extradimension of interaction as content consumers will now need tophysically visit locations mentioned in the content to access extramedia content relating to the location. Other businesses may also takeadvantage of the present invention to advertise their goods andservices. For example, a user walking in front of a specialty food storecan receive a notification of an article making specific recommendationconcerning the store. Similarly, a user passing by a restaurant can benotified of the latest critique of the restaurant published in a journalor magazine. Another example can be of a user being notified of aspecial documentary article in a journal or magazine about a heritage ora touristic attraction as the user walks near the attraction.

Alternatively, the user could be notified of a video documentaryregarding the attraction as the user approaches that attraction. Inanother example, store owners may create virtual anchors that willnotify nearby users of special offers and discounts currently available.

In a different context, users will also find the present inventionuseful as a means to share their findings and hobbies. In one example, apassionate mushroom hunter or bird watchers may create a virtual anchorfor his or her best viewing/picking spot with other users in his/hergroup. Similarly, a user can also create a virtual anchor at a newlydiscovered restaurant or store to share that discovery with friends.This can be made into a pleasant surprise for the friends as the usercan leave a note at the location for the friends to find. Users can alsocreate a virtual anchor at a specific site where the media content areold photos of the site and sharing these photos with users who visitthat location. A virtual anchor can also be created at a location wherea historical event took place. Users can thus be notified of thehistorical event when they walk by the location. Not only that, butusers can have the virtual anchor play audio content that describes thehistorical importance of the location.

The embodiments of the invention may be executed by a computer processoror similar device programmed in the manner of method steps, or may beexecuted by an electronic system which is provided with means forexecuting these steps. Similarly, an electronic memory means such ascomputer diskettes, CD-ROMs, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read OnlyMemory (ROM) or similar computer software storage media known in theart, may be programmed to execute such method steps. As well, electronicsignals representing these method steps may also be transmitted via acommunication network.

Embodiments of the invention may be implemented in any conventionalcomputer programming language. For example, preferred embodiments may beimplemented in a procedural programming language (e.g. “C”) or anobject-oriented language (e.g. “C++”, “java”, “PHP”, “PYTHON” or “C#”).Alternative embodiments of the invention may be implemented aspre-programmed hardware elements, other related components, or as acombination of hardware and software components.

Embodiments can be implemented as a computer program product for usewith a computer system. Such implementations may include a series ofcomputer instructions fixed either on a tangible medium, such as acomputer readable medium (e.g., a diskette, CD-ROM, ROM, or fixed disk)or transmittable to a computer system, via a modem or other interfacedevice, such as a communications adapter connected to a network over amedium. The medium may be either a tangible medium (e.g., optical orelectrical communications lines) or a medium implemented with wirelesstechniques (e.g., microwave, infrared or other transmission techniques).The series of computer instructions embodies all or part of thefunctionality previously described herein. Those skilled in the artshould appreciate that such computer instructions can be written in anumber of programming languages for use with many computer architecturesor operating systems. Furthermore, such instructions may be stored inany memory device, such as semiconductor, magnetic, optical or othermemory devices, and may be transmitted using any communicationstechnology, such as optical, infrared, microwave, or other transmissiontechnologies. It is expected that such a computer program product may bedistributed as a removable medium with accompanying printed orelectronic documentation (e.g., shrink-wrapped software), preloaded witha computer system (e.g., on system ROM or fixed disk), or distributedfrom a server over a network (e.g., the Internet or World Wide Web). Ofcourse, some embodiments of the invention may be implemented as acombination of both software (e.g., a computer program product) andhardware. Still other embodiments of the invention may be implemented asentirely hardware, or entirely software (e.g., a computer programproduct).

A person understanding this invention may now conceive of alternativestructures and embodiments or variations of the above all of which areintended to fall within the scope of the invention as defined in theclaims that follow.

We claim:
 1. A method for accessing media content relating to specificvirtual anchors for specific geographic locations by way of a mobilecomputing device, the method comprising: a) receiving input relating toa planned route for a mobile device used by a user; b) determininggeographic coordinates for said planned route; c) sending a query to aserver for virtual anchors associated with geographic locations within apredetermined distance of said planned route, said query containing saidgeographic coordinates for said planned route; d) receiving details forsaid virtual anchors associated with geographic locations within saidpredetermined distance of said planned route, said details includinggeographic coordinates of said geographic locations; e) downloading atleast one media content for each of said virtual anchors in step d) tosaid mobile device; f) determining geographic coordinates of a mobiledevice location for said mobile computing device; g) determining ifgeographic coordinates of said mobile device location is within a rangeof geographic coordinates of a specific geographic location associatedwith a specific virtual anchor found in step d); h) in the event saidmobile device is within range of said specific geographic location,alerting a user of said mobile computing device of a presence of one ofsaid at least one nearby virtual anchor; and i) repeating steps f)-h)while said mobile device travels on said planned route.
 2. A methodaccording to claim 1 wherein said geographic coordinates compriselongitude and latitude.
 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein saidgeographic coordinates are determined by using at least one locationacquisition technology.
 4. A method according to claim 1 wherein saidmobile device is operating in offline mode while travelling on saidplanned route.
 5. A method according to claim 1 wherein step h) furthercomprises presenting media content associated with said virtual anchorupon receipt of a positive user input to present said media content.